On 9 May 1945, the Great Patriotic War (the Russian name for World War II) ended in Europe. With the end of the war came a com­plete political reorganization of the old continent. Europe was divided into two spheres of influence, under two totally different social orders and social systems. Western Europe was under the free enter­prise system led by the United States and Eastern Europe fell under the Communist system led by the Soviet Union.
Before World War II every European country enjoyed indepen­dence and most differences and conflicts were on a local level. The French never had good relations with the Germans and the Hungarians always had some skirmish going on with the Romanians. After the war, the entire continent was split into two hostile blocks, something that had never happened before.
During the Great Patriotic War, America, England and Russia were allied in an anti-Hitler coalition with the aim of obtaining the unconditional surrender of the Axis Countries in Europe and the Ear East.